Sharing cooking, crafts and many laughs!

Cooking sweet potato love and sharing fashion for less!

Written by Nazarina on July 25th, 2009

Greetings!

Entertaining guests

I have been busy entertaining house guests on and off for the past three and a half months. I have had visitors from oversees and from other states within the U. S. and I am expecting more during August. I do this job really well because I am a people person but sooner than later one’s up-beat energy level begins to wane and manifests into unwelcome bouts of exhaustion and stress which then brings to mind the saying….Are guests really like fish? … do they really begin to smell after three days? LOL! To my family and friends……..just kidding!

There are many antidotes to stress and anxiety, for me it is jogging and cooking. This physical form of meditation engages the body to “move” with the sights and sounds all around you, encourages clarity and ultimately restores harmony once more. It actually quiets all my worries and gives me a sense of grounding, ready for my next load of house guests. This same philosophy goes for my cooking as well! Many have told me to just open up my B & B already, ( Believe me, here in Colorado are many quaint little spots and I have entertained this idea), now my answer to that is ” Why mess with a good life!”

Alpine adulation!

This is my little neighborhood. We’ve had lots of rain this summer hence the dark green hue of the pines and other vegetation. I love it here! BTW, this is where I picked up my pine cones and needles to decorate my dish below!

These tall majestic trees can withstand extreme weather conditions, including high winds and severe snowstorms, but let me not talk about winter just yet for I am far too busy enjoying the sunshine even though it feels like the temps. are in triple digits!

These are new and exciting recipes featured below in my upcoming book ( The book is hard work and the progress is steady but very productive!) I test all these new recipes thoroughly making sure that they would work for you as it does for me! This exciting book features recipes with a chic ” no holds barred ingredient list approach” and will truly be my labor of foodie love!!!!

Mash potato recipe ( perfect for those cool Alpine nights)

This is a creamy mash potato crumble with a topping that is to die for! The yellow mustard seeds in the topping gave this dish a delectable crispy twang! and some of the other exciting ingredients imparted a depth of flavor that will tantalize even the most distinguished palate !

I took it a step further and made a tasty brown mushroom gravy with this dish. The gravy which had a hint of spice was the icing on the cake and the mash potato simply melted as it hit the smooth, warm gravy! Absolutely scrumptious!

Cooking sweet potato ( figure friendly food)

It is like culinary magic when one roasts these chillies and seeds. A little spicy but extremely flavorful indeed! This was part of my ingredient list for the cooking of the sweet potato crumble below!

This sauteed veggies form the basis of both dishes.

Can you believe this was the unbaked version of my sweet potato crumble?

These are lightly baked sweet potato rings with the chili tepin garnishing the dish and covered layers of sweet potato mash etc…….

This is the baked version of the sweet potato crumble and let me just say that the sweet smell of ginger, garlic and toasted panko were sweet smells of success! Can you hear that crunch?

Clothes to pose in ( figure friendly fashion for less )

Now that I have shared my figure friendly food, let me introduce you to my figure friendly fashion! My sweetie says that everything I touch, I turn it into “sexy.” ha! ha!

The black bodice is made from spandex and the floral skirt is extremely flowing. This dress makes the silhouette appear slender and tall with a cute black sandal of course. I wore a little black tights to further accentuate the legs.

The spandex in both these bodices is form-fitting but not constricting. The fabrics used are playful and light weight and give the figure a sense of flattery that attracted many a watchful eye! ( flattery is not the food of a fool when wearing this frock, you will only be showered with second, third, fourth glances etc ..!

Front of frock ( I wore a white shorts with this top)

I used a rinky dink little sewing machine, ( bought from one of those infomercials), to put the hem in this dress and the lace was sewn on by hand! I really need to invest in a better sewing machine!

Back of frock

I wore this little white cork sandal with this top. The leather laces are tied “criss cross” up the leg and shows off one’s beautiful tan!

oh my god, oh my god, oh mygod!!! I\\\’m sorry, but that is all my mind can process right now…too much delicious food, cute goodies, and great news!
I can\\\’t WAIT for your upcoming book, and those dresses are cuter than cute, and holy shit I wanna live in your kitchen!
And LOL abt stinking guests!

Wow, what fancy spuds you have there, Naz! The recipes sound like a great combination of spice and veggies.
And you make your own clothes! What can’t you do?
You are one talented lady and I look forward to seeing your new book.

Just gone thru your blog. WOW! what an interesting and beautiful blog with all those beautiful pictures and recipes. I am also very keen on your soap making. Will definitely come again and add to your following site.